Emersion on Sept 30 and Oct 1

GUWAHATI, Sept 27: The district and police administrations in Guwahati have urged the Durga Puja committees to start emersion of idols as much as early on September 30. The day will be declared a dry day.

Addressing the press in the city on Wednesday, Kamrup Metro DC M Angamuthu, Guwahati Police Commissioner Hiren th and GMC in-charge Dwijen Singh said that approximately 300 idols would be emerged at Kasomarighat and around 200 at Pandughat in the city. According to them, emersion of idols will go on for two days at Bashishtha, Jyotikuchi, Digaru, Chandrapur and Khomukh on September 30 and October 1. At Pandughat emersion will be only on October 1. 

They further said security in and around puja pandals has been beefed up. They, however, said that the onus of supplying drinking water and backup power supply lies with the puja committees. According to them, action will be taken against puja committees erecting puja pandals by digging up the soil. 

The administration has made it a norm for all private and government hospitals to keep five to ten per cent of their seats reserved for emergency cases. They have advised the ambulance drivers to use by-passes so as not to get stuck in traffic srls. The traffic magement has been working overtime. The running of trucks has been banned during in the city during the puja days. 

GMC Commissioner in-charge Singh said: “There are 9,000 streetlights on by-lanes and 3,732 on main roads in the city. There have been adequate measures for illumition of the city during the puja. We appeal to the public to help keep the city clean. Separate dustbins for liquid and solid waste have been put in place.”

Angamuthu and th said that the police, excise and GMC have been inspecting the city bar-cum-restaurants for the past 15 days, and such inspection will continue. “If any illegality is detected, their licenses will be cancelled. While 15 licenses have already been cancelled, show-cause notices have been served against 30 others,” the DC said, and added: “Six teams have been checking the quality of food, prices, food colour etc., in the pujas and hotels. The teams comprise food inspectors, magistrates and others.”

They said that in the event of any electrical problems during the puja, the puja committees would be responsible.  Apart from private pujas in the city, so far as many as 600 puja committees have had themselves registered with the police.